Last updated 18 September 2026 · SARMs Store editorial team. Products on this site are supplied strictly for laboratory research and are not for human consumption. This guide summarises published research; it is not medical advice and contains no instructions for use. 18+ only.
BPC-157 at a glance
| Class | Synthetic pentadecapeptide (15 amino acids), gastric-juice derived |
|---|---|
| First described | Sikiric group, University of Zagreb, early 1990s |
| Highest evidence | Rodent studies and case reports; no completed human trial |
| Studied for | Tendon, ligament, gut and blood-vessel repair in animal models |
| Format | Lyophilised vial (5mg, 10mg) or capsules |
| Storage | 2 to 8°C unopened, frozen long term, away from light |
| UK status 2026 | Research chemical; not a licensed medicine; WADA S0 |
What BPC-157 is
BPC-157, short for Body Protection Compound 157, is a synthetic peptide of fifteen amino acids taken from a sequence found in human gastric juice. It was first described by Predrag Sikiric's group at the University of Zagreb in the early 1990s, and almost all of the published work since has come from that laboratory. It is stable in gastric acid, which is unusual for a peptide, and that stability is the reason it has been studied by mouth as well as by injection in animal models. It is not a hormone, it does not act on the androgen receptor, and it is not a growth factor, although several of the effects reported in animals run through growth factor pathways.
What the research found
Tendon and ligament. The most cited work is in rats. Chang and colleagues (Journal of Applied Physiology, 2011) reported that BPC-157 increased the outgrowth and survival of tendon fibroblasts in culture and improved healing of transected Achilles tendons in rats. Earlier work from the Zagreb group reported similar results in rat medial collateral ligament and quadriceps injury models. None of this has been repeated in a controlled human trial.
Gut. The original interest was gastrointestinal. Sikiric's group reported protection against a range of experimentally induced stomach and bowel lesions in rats, including damage from NSAIDs and alcohol, and accelerated healing of fistulas and anastomoses. A 2011 review in Current Pharmaceutical Design summarises this body of work.
Blood vessels. Several rat studies describe increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and faster formation of new vessels around injured tissue, which the authors propose as the common mechanism behind the tendon, muscle and gut findings.
What is missing. As of September 2026 there is no registered, completed, peer-reviewed human trial of BPC-157 for any indication. A small number of case reports and conference abstracts exist. Everything a buyer reads about effects in people is anecdote, and the research literature is almost entirely from a single group, which is a limitation the group itself has acknowledged.
Oral versus injected forms in the studies
The rat studies used both intraperitoneal injection and oral administration in drinking water, often at similar effect sizes in gut models. For tendon and muscle models the injected route dominates the literature. BPC-157 is also sold in capsule form; the published data on oral bioavailability in larger animals or humans is thin, so the capsule and the lyophilised vial should be treated as two different research questions rather than equivalents.
Stability, storage and handling
BPC-157 is supplied as a lyophilised (freeze-dried) powder in a sealed vial. Unopened vials should be kept refrigerated at 2 to 8 degrees Celsius, or frozen for long-term storage, and away from light. Once reconstituted in a laboratory it degrades over days to weeks even when refrigerated. Purity is measured by HPLC and identity by mass spectrometry; a certificate of analysis for a peptide should show both, because a degraded peptide still looks like a white powder.
Legal status in the UK, 2026
BPC-157 is not a controlled substance under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. It is not a licensed medicine in the UK or anywhere else, so it cannot lawfully be sold or advertised for human use, and the MHRA treats any product supplied with dosing or reconstitution instructions for people, or with health claims, as an unlicensed medicine. It is sold in the UK strictly as a research chemical. In sport it falls under WADA section S0 (non-approved substances) and is prohibited at all times; several anti-doping agencies issued specific warnings about it in 2023 and 2024.
What to check before buying
Quantity per vial in milligrams, purity by HPLC (95 percent or higher is the usual research standard), identity by mass spectrometry, a batch number on the vial that matches the certificate, and evidence the product was kept cold in transit. The certificate should be batch specific. Every Origin Peptides batch is independently tested and its certificate of analysis is published on the product page and the Lab Testing page.
Frequently asked questions
Is BPC-157 a steroid or a SARM?
No. It is a peptide with no action on the androgen receptor.
Has BPC-157 been tested in humans?
Not in a completed, published controlled trial. The evidence is rodent studies and case reports.
What is the difference between BPC-157 and TB-500?
Different molecules. BPC-157 is a gastric-derived pentadecapeptide; TB-500 is a fragment of thymosin beta-4 that acts on actin. Both appear in the tissue-repair literature, which is why they are often studied together.
Is BPC-157 legal in the UK?
Legal to buy and possess as a research compound, not lawful to sell or advertise for human consumption, banned in sport.
Key references
Sikiric P, Seiwerth S, Rucman R, et al. Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157: novel therapy in gastrointestinal tract. Current Pharmaceutical Design. 2011;17(16):1612-1632. Chang CH, Tsai WC, Lin MS, Hsu YH, Pang JH. The promoting effect of pentadecapeptide BPC 157 on tendon healing involves tendon outgrowth, cell survival, and cell migration. Journal of Applied Physiology. 2011;110(3):774-780. Seiwerth S, Rucman R, Turkovic B, et al. BPC 157 and standard angiogenic growth factors. Current Pharmaceutical Design. 2018;24(18):1972-1989. World Anti-Doping Agency. Prohibited List 2026, section S0.
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Research products: Origin Peptides BPC-157 5mg · BPC-157 10mg · BPC-157 capsules · Wolverine blend (BPC-157 with TB-500) · Full Origin Peptides range · Lab Testing